Tuesday 2nd February: Lancaster
Yes, a new month dawned bright but not for long. The final day alone changed, and at lunch time, after the coal had been delivered, I was caught in a quite heavy shower as I took Caspar out. It brightened somewhat but soon after dark the serious rain started. The change in humidity was marked in my joints - I felt ache-y and lost my get-up-and-go! After an energetic few days of walks, I only managed three short-ish efforts. Nick returned just before midnight. On Tuesday we had a settling in day. It seems the connection to my lap-top had inadvertently been switched off and, as I was the only one here, it could only have been me! We listened to an amazing programme on Radio 4 - a phone-in about assisted dying. It was intensely moving and stimulating radio, with about two thirds of the calls being in favour, with some intensely poignant stories to support the views, One, a woman whose husband had died of Huntingdon's disease - and had then seen both of her sons die, one who elected to have an assisted death, the other suffering a long and desperately painful final few weeks. Another was from a lady whose father had pleaded with her from his hospital bed to help him die: she had spent every day since regretting that she had refused. The programme made one realise how complex the issues are, and how there is passion on both sides of the argument. Another excellent radio programme this week is the story at the end of Woman's Hour where characters involved are with a psycho-analyst exposing their all too human frailties and dilemmas. And in the evening there was Lark Rise', a beautifully poignant episode when measles strikes the rural community at harvest time. Some excellent acting which held us both spellbound. A quiet day for us both and lots of catching up on this website!
Saturday 6th: Borwick (near Tewitfield)
The rest of this week was spent in Lancaster
as the ice formed and melted quite spectacularly. One night there was a
complete covering of ice over the cut within hours. By midday the
next day it was virtually gone! On Wednesday I went to the mid-day
Meeting for Worship followed by a Jacob's Join. It was interesting to
talk with someone who had been to school in this building when it was a
Quaker School, way back, and I learned something about the recent past
and how Friends had lost an adjoining building because of a duplicitous
business man and his dastardly lawyers. Angela came up to the boat on
Thursday, having had an awful hour or so consulting a solicitor
the previous day, only to discover that her ex could still make
significant financial claims on her. It made me think how terribly unjust/immoral
the law can be. Considering her present situation she is coping and
delighted that one of her sons is hot-footing it home to offer moral
support this weekend. Yesterday was unusual as Nick did a longish walk
with the dog early. Then the gas paid out just as I was finishing
breakfast. That meant that we now have two empty gas bottles and
something needed to be done about it, so .... we set forth, north. Under
an overcast, but not lowering sky we travelled, past Hest Bank stopping for a couple of
pies at Bolton le Sands, and enjoying them on our arrival in Carnforth. The
dog seemed to appreciate the fact that we were on the move again and
gamely trotted along with us for a couple of miles. I did a quick shop
and we were off again, through a short section of unexpectedly thickish
ice, the sky
brightening a little as we did the lovely section at the
end of this canal. We stopped briefly for Nick to pick up a fine long
piece of wood and on arrival at the end of the canal
(thefurthest point
north on the BW section of the inland waterways) he managed to get hold
of just one bottle of gas .
This will, hopefully satisfy our needs for the next two
weeks. We returned south in the dark to get away from the noise of the
M6 and found a lonely spot: by this time the skies had cleared,
promising a cold night.
This morning I walked Caspar early while it was
bright and a touch hazy. Within a half hour the boat was enshrouded in
mist
and we had lost the green and brown wintery aspect. Then by ten
thirty we were enjoying glorious sunshine. Later we will head on south
to Carnforth and take on provisions for a few days as the Bolton le
Sands and Hest Bank areas where we plan to stay for a day or so are not good for shopping, though they do have
some excellent pubs and I think it's time we enjoyed the flavour of them
in one way or another. Many folk who know we are on the boat think we
are on an everlasting canal holiday, where at least one meal a day is
enjoyed in waterside hostelries. When you live on a boat this doesn't
happen, but I am of the opinion that perhaps it should happen once a
week or so.
Monday 6th: Carnforth
We arrived in Carnforth on Saturday afternoon and shopped. We don't have a brilliant internet signal here but we do have television. Watched an amazing documentary about the railways in Mombai - organised chaos that's quite unbelievable,; while we live in a environment of health and safety with gangs of men in yellow coats and clipboards as seen this morning here in Carnforth. On Sunday morning I caught the train into Lancaster for meeting for Worship. Another lovely and well attended meeting. Some Friends here had celebrated their Golden Wedding the previous day and the ministry about love ended with a reading from 'Faith and Practice' on the subject of marriage. Lovely! I had to leave promptly to catch the train back or I would have been stuck in Lancaster for upwards of two hours.
With the weather fair, though chilly this
morning, we took the advice by a passer-by on the towpath to go to
Warton Crags, the hillock that sits north of Ca
rnforth,
where, he said, we would enjoy splendid views. So just before midday, as
the blue skies of the morning were turning to grey, we set off, the
first bit not too enticing, though we soon found ourselves heading
across fields to Warton, the home of the ancestors of George Washington.
We started climbing up through a field of sheep (no lambs here!) and
from there started our steady ascent up through the Nature Reserve. We
climbed as far as the Rocking Stones - not quite the top but we enjoyed
a tremendous view across the bay easterly and round to the north-west. I
was quite anxious about my knee giving problems on the way down but the
exercises, given me by Ian at Brooklands, seem to have been beneficial.
We marched into the George Washington pub just before two as they were
shutting up for the day, so had no chance to recover before the final
lap back to the town. I managed to catch a bus back into Carnforth while
Nick walked back with Caspar. After lunch I lay on the bed to read and
totally zonked out! Not surprising! The boat needs a good tidy but not
much more will be done today, apart from preparing a meal.
Tuesday 7th Hest Bank
A moderately early start, launderette and pump-out, with a touch of shopping, and we were off, south-bound again in a particularly chilly easterly. It has been bright and clear, a perfect day for the views over Morecombe Bay with the snow capped fells of the Lake District away to the north, the bay, with the sea fully out. It's quite busy here so we are in the culvert - excellent internet signal but, in all likelihood, no TV. Nick has spent the afternoon with his new IT toy - the photo gallery whatsits, thereby setting up a detailed helmsman's view of today's journey. I'm amazed we didn't hit a bridge or a plastic launch, with him taking so many photos!
I just thought it would be interesting to take you on the journey we did today.
Click on this text to go to our Slideshows, and select "from Carnforth to Hest Bank"
Thursday 11th: Lune Aqueduct
Yesterday I did another long walk. With Nick
& Caspar I
walked north along the beach from Hest Bank on yet another bright, but bright, day -
beautiful clear views across the sands to the snow capped peaks to the north.
We crossed areas of water and Caspar jumped in one only to find it quite
a bit deeper than expected, making us laugh. We saw a car, a Land Rover,
part-buried
in the sand, out quarter-way from and between Bolton Le sands and
Humphrey Head Point; and also a chap with kite and trolley - the kite
was pulling him, whooshing him across the sand - must have be truly
exhilarating, with his dog unfailingly and faithfully chasing him back
and forth. Leaving the sands, we wa
lked inland toward Bolton Town End, finding ourselves by the swing bridge
from where we walked along the towpath to The Hest Bank where we enjoyed a most suitable Lancashire Hotpot and a pint.
I guess I need to learn
how to make a decent hotpot. In the afternoon we chilled out, and I started
my final batch of marmalade for this year - last batch with a whisky twist. Last
night was probably one of the coldest nights of recent date - though not quite
cold enough
to have to fish out the extra duvet in the night. And the ice on the
canal was a concern - surely it was not cold enough, just one hard frost, to
stop us moving on into the city centre. The answer to that, as I write
at 1.30.pm is, 'Oh yes it is!' After walks along the Lune on the
north
shore, the collection o
f wood, and the avoidance of a feral dog thanks to an
informative passer-by, and coffee, we set off some time after midday.
But the ice was amazingly thick and we went less than a quarter of a
mile crossing the Lune aqueduct and the secondary aqueduct over the A683
(another, shorter, slideshow). Standing at the front, I watched the ice crack,
as we laboriously pushed through it, like icy
lightning travelling ahead of us. Quite mesmerising!
Nick made the
decision that it was all too much for dear Gloriana. Indeed, the
buffeting has stirred up our water tank at the pointy end, and for a
while the water was a bit cloudy. So at present we're moored up - lucky
for us we actually were able to pull in, as places on this canal for
mooring are few and far between. Nick has just walked up away and thinks
that we may have another go as the ice seems to be melting and indeed
the sun does seem quite warm.
Friday 12th: Lancaster
As
promised awhile back, here I am posing with my 'trendy' bag from TK Max
and attempting to look cool (Caspar's
under-impressed!).
Well, I did try!
On Thursday we did actually manage to crunch our way through the ice
into the centre of Lancaster. I think I would have stayed but Nick seems
to like a challenge. On our arrival we drained our water tank completely
and flushed through a fair amount of the sediment and now our water seems to be clear
again. It was
good to be back in Lancaster; we find it a most benign place for a city,
and our nights here continue to be peaceful. The most noise we get, and
that is in the daytime, is the air ambulance on its quite regular visits
to the hospital, across the cut. On Friday we awoke to yet another
lovely day and we both did a foray into town and prepared for Angela's
visit. It was such a relief to hear her news - she has managed a deal
with her ex and, with the financial generosity of her wonderful family,
can feel safe staying in her lovely canal-side cottage. We shared lots
of chat with the G&T and Salt & Balsamic Kettle Chips; Nick did our
favourite Rick Stein monkfish recipe; and at the end of the evening, I
saw Angela safely onto her bus, Bilsborrow bound.
Checking the email inbox
before retiring to bed, I found details from BW regarding passage back
to the T&M: I am delighted to find that they have caught up with the
internet revolution because we are now allowed to submit our requests
electronically, such a good idea for we continuous cruisers!. Though we
were planning to be in the first group across, we have decided to stay
'til the middle of the month (of April): we await confirmation of our
request for 14th or 17th: this allows us to enjoy more time with our
friends here, and possibly to meet new ones, John and Elizabeth, from
Corte Madera in the States, a relative stone's throw (ten miles as the
crow flies) from Alcatraz, who are coming over to do the Lancaster in
April: we have been whetting their appetite with the photographic record of our
journey from Carnforth to Hest Bank; though we may have to suffer the
appearance of Wes and Lizzie as part of the package!
(WHICH WILL BE LUVLY!)
It seems appropriate now, particularly as we have the technology, to
present a slideshow (click here) of our trip
across from Tarleton in September: it may encourage someone to think
about joining me for the return trip (there again, it may dissuade those
who are already expressing an interest). I could have arranged the
pictures in reverse order to give a closer idea of the journey in
prospect but, as I have no intention of doing it in reverse gear, I
didn't want to confuse the issue. As Jac has a couple of NHS
appointments south during that week, I am currently planning the
crossing solo.
I finally went to bed with thoughts of having to spend £700+ on a new
refrigerator: Jac had noticed mid-evening that it was defrosting, and
close investigation indicated that it wasn't working though there was
good power to it (12.7V), and it was switched on!
Sunday 14th: Lancaster
Saturday dawned brilliant and
stayed so all day. Jac took herself off to The Friend's Meeting
House
for the day and I settl
ed down
to consider the options with the refrigerator. To
cut a long story a little shorter, I recalled the issue with the water pump several
months earlier, and indeed also our problems with the Eberspacher a year
or more ago. So I disconnected all wiring into the controller, checked
as much as I could of the terminals (spade connections) and reconnected.
When I turned the switch, the hum of the compressor was as the sweetest
music to my ears! Though there was no visible corrosion, it can only
have been a dirty connection causing the problem, this seems to be
endemic where low voltage dc circuits are concerned. If only the rest of
life's problems were as painlessly resolved. Hound and I then took
ourselves off for a walk around Williamson Park and got back to the boat
just before Jackie returned from her distractions.
My day was an informative Fellowship Day with
Friends from other local meetings gathering to learn and explore about
asylum seekers and refugees and the facts, rather than media hype we get
from the tabloids. It is good to know that there are charitable
organisations working to help their difficulties, with many Friends
involved. In the afternoon we explored the complex issues created by the
Muslim/Christian/British divisions or perceived divisions and to
consider the means to connect the divided cultures.
(I returned to the boat via M& S and was consumed by un/righteous
indignation at the rafts of pancake batter in plastic containers!
What! Are there 'euman beens who cannot make a batter!)
My involvement with
Lancaster Friends continued, on Sunday morning, with a visit to the boat
by four young Quaker Friends, two parents, two helpers and after a while
two more
adults. The children explored the boat, met Caspar, learned about our
simple way of living - no car, limited media input, water and toilet
practicalities; and there were lots of questions. We then enjoyed a
short period of quiet worship and walked back up to the Meeting House. I
thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope they did.
Monday 15th: Lancaster
We awoke to a grey dawn, which didn't improve throughout the whole day. I was peacefully dozing after my morning nettle and ginger tea when rudely awoken by my phone's new, much improved, ring tone. Yes, it was Angela, always the early riser, just about to leave for Lancaster for an hour or so of the 6am to 6pm Peace Vigil, supporting the Aldermaston Blockade. She had heard the news of further deaths of NATO troops in Helmand and. in view of the fact that her youngest is off to Afghanistan within the next few months, felt moved to take part in the vigil. So ... a quick skip with Caspar and we'd hardly started breakfast when in she bobbed - traffic clear because of Half Term. We were up at the Meeting House soon after ten where there were about ten or so people sitting quietly. The main Meeting Room looked lovely with a dramatic focus of fabrics in primary colours, candle, flowers and board with peace prayer. I went up later for the final hour and a half. The beauty and serenity of the space and the people contrasted with the ugly facts of the nuclear submarines prowling the seas carrying up to 48 nuclear warheads, each one able to cause devastation way beyond that of the bombs dropped on Japan. I walked back with Margaret who had brought her grand daughter, Grace, to the boat yesterday. She is investing in a green project: land has been bought on the banks of the River Lune and the plan is to build a dozen 'green' homes and to form an entirely sustainable community. Sounds amazing! Grace, incidentally, was taken by Margaret on a March to mark an anniversary of the Aldermaston Marches. When somebody commented that a child could not understand the issues, Margaret challenged them to ask Grace what she thought 'Peace' was, and Grace replied that she thought it was when people were kind and thoughtful and listened to each other to solve problems. Out of the mouths of babes!
Wednesday 17th: Ratcliffe Wharf;
Tuesday was damp and rainy - I popped up to
town and also did a launderette trip. In the afternoon a subdued Angela
arrived, having had her aged and ailing mog, Dexter, put down. After
supper she and I went to a poetry evening at the Meeting House. A
surprising number of people were there to learn and share the poetry of
E. A. Fanthorpe, a Quaker, and a respected and well published poet. She
was the daughter of a judge, went to Cambridge and taught for a number
of years at Cheltenham Ladies College. Then, in her o
wn words she became
a middle aged drop-out, worked as a receptionist in a neurological
clinic in Bristol and started to write a serious amount of poetry. She
became successful and her literary career brought her here to teach in a
local college. A number of those present knew her and received an annual
Christmas poem from her; some of these were read during the evening. An
academic from the university here introduced the evening with an
overview of her poetry and then memories and favourite poems were
shared. Her work was quite radical and perceptive with compassion and
humour. I intend to read more. On the boat we three talked about our
faith and on the walk up to the Meeting House Angela explained how she
came to Quakers. Having served the Anglican Church faithfully she
decided she wanted to become a Lay Reader but was prevented because of
the 'traditional' views of the local priest and bishop. She was so upset
at their careless and dismissive attitude that she left the church. We
felt sad for her when Angela left to return to an empty house.
Wednesday dawned bright and beautiful and cold; again a film of ice had formed across the cut. Caspar popped out just before seven when I was attending to the fire and soon decided to come back in and cuddle down. I did the same! I then did another launderette visit as the Lancaster setup is so convenient. Nick and I walked up into town together to the Assembly Rooms, now a place selling memorabilia, and I bought a very smart trilby for the birthday boy for tomorrow! We were lucky to come away with just one titfer as the chap was very persuasive and the selection enticing! I went on to the market, and to have my eyes tested, and on my return we set off south, a journey in beautiful weather and arrived at Ratcliffe Wharf just before dark, breasting up alongside Farthings Hook. Caspar was so excited he overcame his anxst and making his way from our cratch to the wooden board on the back of their helm, straight into the boat to demolish half of Jamie's dinner - that's after having had his supper minutes before! Then the two of them were out in the field adjacent to the boat, Jamie dashing around in wild excitement. We enjoyed a welcome cuppa before encouraging Caspar back on board Gloriana and then backing up to moor on the other side of the cut next to Gilly on Unchained Melody. Nick feels a cold coming on! Not the best birthday present from the universe! Echinacea and Vit C at the ready!
Thursday 18th: Ratcliffe Wharf: Happy Birthday to Nick!
A damp drizzly morn - that, and the prospect of a cold! One source of celebration - I managed to succeed in completing Spider Solitaire (level 2) for two consecutive games, something I've been attempting for ages! Sad or what! One of the joys of the Lancaster has been Gilly introducing us to wobbly coffee and, as we are moored alongside, and the dreaded birthday, there was really no alternative but to have Gilly on board. Gilly has been here at Ratcliffe Wharf for a while and one of her nephews, a blond Adonis called Freddie, is putting a bath in the boat for her. Freddie is one of the four young people Gilly took under her wing way back when her sister died. All four of them went to Sibford Quaker School - another connection established. The installing of the bath has been a major job - all the bathroom furniture has been removed and been given a spring clean. Lovely! Sadly Freddie didn't join us for our wobbly coffee so I could feast my eyes on him! As I write this at lunch time the rain has turned to wet snow.
Now, you wouldn't believe this, but, having finished the blog, I just availed myself of Spider Solitaire on Nick's computer and da-da! I completed a third successive game. It should be my birthday! I'll stop while I'm ahead and offer the boy some cold-defying French onion soup!
Saturday 20th: Garstang
We did very little more, worthy of report, on Thursday, though I did empty the bilges, and I well remember the superb lamb shank Jackie served for dinner which was accompanied by a very acceptable Bordeaux (Lussac St Emilion) and preceded by G&T with smoked salmon: I would endorse my brother's quotation of my mother's tenet (click to read if you're interested) that one "feeds a cold" though I hope to be able to foreshorten the 9-day cycle. The weather for the day had been as poor as we've had it for several weeks, grey and wet without let-up.
But
Friday was brilliant. It had been a cold night and ice had
re-established itself on the cut though not to such a thickness that
would cause a problem travelling. Jackie was planning to go to Northwich
for the weekend so we decided to make our way into Garstang where she
could catch a bus with less hassle. I had offered Gilly the loan of our
Aquavac, a five-pint vacuum device superb for removing the last
millimetre of water from the bilge, so after leaving it in her cratch,
as there was no sign of life aboard, we set off south. I have navigated
up and down between Bilsborrow and Carnforth so many times now that the
novelty has worn off (though I still find it delightful), so recording the
journey in snapshots adds another perspective for me which I hope may
add interest to our ramblings for others. The journey proceeded with little of the
remarkable: no comment could be as
comprehensive as your looking at the slideshow,
and we arrived in Garstang soon after midday having stopped twice; once
to pick up Angela who had walked out from the town to meet us, and a
second time for a coffee break. Indeed, we had our coffee break only
five minutes out of Garstang, by the marina, more so that I could try the
internet connection - there was a mast in direct line of sight and only
a couple of hundred yards away. But despite this, the signal was
useless! I later learned that Vodafone are having problems with their
transmitter in this area at the moment, and not for the first time (it's not good at the best of
times), so I had to resort to the Th'Auld Tithebarne's wifi later in the
day.
We duly arrived at Moss Lane and Jackie went off with Angela to catch
her bus. I filled up with water, and took advantage of the arrival of
Gooseander to hitch a lift (in their hired car) to top-up with diesel.
Gloriana then proceeded to her usual Garstang mooring, and after a
reasonable walk taking in Sainsbury's, Caspar and I settled down. A trip
to the pub to upload data to the web, the cooking of a meal, the
watching of TV for an hour or so (yes, a good signal here!), and the day
was done.
Eight o'clock
on Saturday morn, and I surfaced
to another brilliant morning, but by half-ten it was foggy. After a
foray into town for provisions, not least some decent bread, I had
coffee and a couple of bacon sarnies, and was duly joined by Angela. We
had agreed to go for a decent walk if the weather were good, and by one
o'clock the sky was a clear blue so we set off for Scorton and Nicky Nook.
Nicky Nook c
ould
be translated as "heart and lung exercise" but, more prosaically, it is
a fabulous area of the fells to the north-east of Garstang. As I was
packing the rucksack to leave, I checked the camera battery, and though
it was at the low end, thought it was OK. How wrong can you be! So the
sights and scenes of a beautiful area are, with three exceptions, for
the time being, only
in my memory. Another trip up the Nok is definitely on the cards, and
the battery is on charge as I type! (the problem is, that the battery
in the Canon 350D is so good that one charge lasts for a very long time.
So one can forget to check it). It took us about an hour and a half
to walk to the triangulation point and down again by a circular route
that took us above and alongside the Grisedale reservoir, through a
thick pinewood, and along a quiet road back to where we had left the
car. We returned to the boat for a brew after which Angela left for
home: altogether, a splendid afternoon! On Saturday evening I continue
to have problems with Vodafone so another visit to the pub in prospect
for tomorrow. I wonder if I could backcharge Vodafone for the pint.
Sunday 21st: Garstang
More snow! Woke again to a white towpath with the snow still falling, though it seems that Jackie and Elanor, in Northwich, have a deeper covering. However, it had all disappeared by mid-morning bequeathing a semi-bright, dry, relatively mild day. A quick trip to t' Tithebarne to upload this and a hundred or more other files, an hour or two of television, and once more to bed.
Monday 22nd: Bilsborrow
Nick met me well after mid-day although I had
left Northwich after dropping Elanor at school. I had a lovely weekend
which included an early morning foray with sledge so that Elanor had her
first taste of tobogganing which she loved, and has a battle-scarred
forehead to prove it!. By the time we left the slope at eleven it was
getting really busy. and we had had the
best of the snow. That was after
accompanying her to a new class; football is no longer flavour of the
month and she loved her second ever gymnastics class - held in a unit on
an industrial estate quite near Anderton. It was an impressive set-up
with a serious warm up, after which the kids worked in groups on various
disciplines with young coaches who were clearly competent - balancing
bar, box, floor, trampoline, hanging bar. She has been invited to do
join a squad - an hour and a half session. A first for me was a 'go' on
a home-based karaoke set up - it made me realise that I can't sing very
well at all. Best effort -'Tell me on a Sunday' tho' there were dicey
moments! It was great to see Patrick's parenting skills - he's just
great, but I guess I'm biased!
I've now done Preston to Liverpool 3 times,
twice on the X2 Express (2 hours!), I've sussed it now in that I jump
off in Southport - an exceedingly elegant seaside resort where I
can get
a coffee and enjoy a walk along the front and window shop until I feel
like jumping back on the bus (30 minute intervals). I usually manage a
front seat on the upper deck and note the endless fields of what seem to
be peaty soil. Today I struck up a conversation with Liverpudlian chap
along side me atop the vehicle. He offered to share his sannies and had
started to serenade me as we approached Southport. From my limited
experience of Liverpool they make them like that! In the Autumn there was serious harvesting of leeks and
at present there are just fields of sodden Savoy cabbages. As you
approach Liverpool you pass the busy container port. After Bootle you
pass an especially run down part of the city with lots of boarded up
shops and sadly some quite handsome, though closed down, Victorian pubs.
I was up at eight this morning and, after a short walk with Caspar, had a light breakfast. I was expecting two visitors this morning, Gilly who was to return my Aquavac, and Angela who was going to give me a lift to get some LPG. By eleven-ish, the three of us were sitting enjoying wobbly coffees, and Gilly was entertaining Angela with snippets of her past history. I had established earlier that the gas bottle wasn't quite empty, indeed I managed to get more than an hour's generator operation from what was left, so the replacement gas bottle is a task for another day. Angela gave me a lift two or three miles to the local builders merchant where I was able to establish the availability of Sapele veneered plywood in the gauges I need, and that they will cut to size. Replacement of a ceiling panel and of the wall panelling around the centre hatch is high on the agenda!
Shortly before one, Jac texted
to say she was on the way from Preston and we arranged to meet, her off
the bus, me from the boat, at Sainsbury's. Back at the boat we had crusty bacon rolls
for lunch and
set off for Bilsborrow. 
Where the morning had been brilliant with blue
skies, the afternoon was cloudy with occasional glimpses of the sun, but
it stayed dry. There was far more ice on the canal, for most of the
journey, than expected, and when we encountered significant amounts on
the final straight into Bilsborrow, we stopped for a cup of tea and a
moment to think. The issue was that, when we had last travelled into
Bilsborrow after the January freeze, the canal on the final long bend
into the village had had the thickest ice of the journey: if such were
to be the case this time, we would have a problem getting through. In
the event I decided to go for it, and, when we crossed the aqueduct and
rounded the bend there was clear water. We moored outside Angela's
cottage and were soon sitting in her conservatory, brew in hand.
Tuesday 23rd: Bilsborrow - East Bank
This
morning the
re was as much ice inside the windows as there has ever been.
I was glad when Angela knocked on the boat to take Caspar. We couldn't
hang about as we had been offered the car on what was likely to be the
last of the bright sunny days, our instructions - to explore the Trough
of Bowland - a large upland area to the east and Lancashire's answer to
the Yorkshire Dales. The weather closed in, so that by midday we had
lost any sun and there was a vicious wind. Although we had all the gear
we were still not comfortable when we stopped to walk by a rocky
mountain stream where giant icicles hung from the craggy banks. The
fell peaks were sn
ow
covered and there was just a sprinkling of snow at our level. We were supposed to do a
circular tour but managed to do a mini-circuit mid-way and found
ourselves returning whence we came! We weren't so sad to get back to a
moderately warm boat and have a bite for lunch. This evening we were
entertained royally by Angela - our joint birthday meal! I wish I'd had
a video of Angela feeding Caspar the last of her fillet steak,
encouraging him to enjoy each shred instead of gobbling it - somehow she
succeeded! For some reason we have both struggled to stay awake today-
the cold is encouraging us into hibernation mode four months adrift, when
the snowdrops are out and other bulbs are forcing their green shoots up
out of the cold ground. So it's hot water bottles at the ready and off to bed!
Saturday 27th: Bilsborrow - West Bank
Yes, still here. Nick has been very busy
re-jigging the electrics, stuck in the engine room in cramped conditio
ns,
muttering, chuntering, grumbling, expleting! While I'm on board I'm in a
constant state of anxst, listening to it. Angela has continued
enthusiastic with morning walks, though now we've moved across the cut
to leave the 24-hour mooring available to others for the weekend she
may not be so keen and I may turn into a morning slug. Yesterday, my
birthday, and probably the most dismally wet day we've had in
Lancashire, Nick actually did the honours. We had intended to go to
Fleetwood where there is allegedly a fine market, and where we were
planning to have a fresh fish lunch. We abandoned that idea but were
told the fish we had in the Royal Oak in Garstang had been delivered
from Fleetwood, fresh that morning. In the evening I went with
Angela to a Quaker gathering to learn about
Friends House, Moscow. Daphne, who is a Garstang Friend, is Co-Clerk,
and explained about all the worthwhile projects that were funded,
especially educational work in orphanages and work with young people
with mental health issues. There is particular con
cern about future as
the money from a legacy, which had been funding much of the work is
drying up! We enjoyed a wonderful supper of borsht and rye bread, all
made by the social committee, Wonderful, especially as it was followed
by Russian chocolates and cake! We were unable to get a television
signal on the East Bank; who knows about here.
This morning I
collected my new specs from Lancaster, visiting the market to get
organic veg (wonderful value) and meat (not so wonderful value!) and
First Steps for some quinoa and beans (wonderful value!) This afternoon
Angela took us up to Beacon Fell for a walk. It's quite heavily wooded,
with giant conifers though rather water-logged this afternoon. There
were dozens of cars parked i
n the car park of the Discovery Centre, but
we spent much of our walk quite alone. There was still some snow on the
northern slopes as we made our way way up to the triangulation point at
the top where it was just clear enough to see the Blackpool Tower,
though it was well shrouded in mist.
We returned from our walk to Angela's cottage and to a very welcome brew, accompanied by her superb scones; a perfect way to finish a winter afternoon's external exercise! Over the course of the last few days I had been upgrading the 12V power distribution: those of you who have followed this saga from early months will remember my writing about problems with invisible corrosion of fuses: I have finally replaced the eight-way continental style fuse board with two eight-way blade style fuse boards and I have beefed up the connection from the battery to minimise the problems of volt-drop that can cause failure of the Eberspacher (our water heater). In the evening, we introduced Angela to the culinary pleasure of a Skate wing, beautifully cooked by Jackie with a garnish of capers, this followed by a very pleasant fruit salad. Jac and I had the same.
Sunday 28th:
We woke to a dry morning which became brighter as the day progressed and by half-eleven the sun had broken through the cloud. Jac, as is her normal practice on a Sunday, had gone off to her Meeting, and I spent the morning finishing parts of the electrics and removing more water from the bilge. Jac returned just as the coffee was percolating. The afternoon passed at leisure and we joined Angela in the evening for a very enjoyable beef and orange casserole followed by, for me, a novel dessert, cherry clafoutis, a baked French dessert typically made by baking fresh fruit (traditionally cherries) and a batter, halfway between a pancake batter and a custard, in a baking dish. Highly recommended! After watching Lark Rise to Candleford we walked back to the boat and said goodbye to February.
